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NEWS | June 22, 2020

U.S. Navy, Georgian Forces Conduct Maneuvering Exercises in the Black Sea

By Ensign Andrew Walker, USS Porter Public Affairs

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) and Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) executed maneuvering exercises and signal flag drills with GCG Ochamchire (P-23) and GCG Dioskura (P-25) in the Black Sea, June 22, 2020.

Porter, Oak Hill, and Georgian naval counterparts participated in tactical formation sailing.

“It’s been a pleasure operating alongside our Georgian partners in the Black Sea while demonstrating our commitment to stability and security in the region,” said Cmdr. Craig Trent, commanding officer of Porter. “Valuable training opportunities like today’s are vital in building our interoperability and operational readiness.”

U.S. Navy vessels routinely conduct training with allies and partners in order to increase capacity and capability as we work together to strengthen regional ties.

Porter recently conducted operations with partner nations throughout various European Seas, including at-sea training with the Romanian Navy in the Black Sea in April; joint interoperability exercises with the Italian and French navies in the Mediterranean Sea in April; operating as part of a Surface Action Group with the Royal Navy in the High North and Barents Sea in May; conducting passing exercises with the Tunisian Navy in June; operational exercises with Romanian, Turkish, and Bulgarian Navies in June.

Porter, forward-deployed to Rota, Spain, is conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe and Africa.

U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.